The particles contain, as essential constituents, drugs or other bio-affecting substances, disintegrants and spheronization aids. They are useful in a variety of comestible units, particularly in pharmaceutical dosage forms having optional tastemasking coatings.
The use of disintegrants in solid drug dosage forms is discussed in the following disclosures:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,632 recites, at column 1, lines 47+, the use of "disintegrating agents of the carboxymethylcellulose type or insoluble reticulated PVP type." Such agents are mixed with polymer-coated dry particles or with sugar spheres that have been coated with drug and polymer. The disintegrating agent is not contained in a drug-containing core.
European Patent Office Publication No. 0636364A1 (from Application No. 94305533.5), published Jul. 25, 1994, teaches compressed wafers made from coated drug particles. The coated particles contain a drug substrate coated with a blend of polymers. The coated particles are blended with a water-disintegratable carbohydrate and a binder. The disintegrant used (i.e., a carbohydrate) is not contained in the drug-containing core.